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Nick Punto
Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American professional baseball utility player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, and center field with several teams. Punto is a switch hitter and throws right-handed. Punto is a 1996 graduate of Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California. After high school, he attended Saddleback College, also in Mission Viejo. His father, Lou, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Nick and his wife, Natalie have two children, Nicole Jayne born on May 30, 2008 and a son, Nash. Career Philadelphia Phillies Punto was drafted in the 21st round of the 1998 MLB Draft and made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on September 9, . Minnesota Twins After playing in a career-high 64 major-league games in , he was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in the offseason (along with Carlos Silva) for Eric Milton. He started the season with the team, but he was injured twice and spent the majority of his time in 2004 on the disabled list. In , he competed for the starting job at second base, which he eventually won, and in became the starting third baseman. Punto was one of four Twins players nicknamed "The Piranhas" by White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillén. The other Piranhas were Jason Tyner, Jason Bartlett, and Luis Castillo. His Twins teammates called him "The Human Highlight Reel", in reference to his defensive prowess. In 2005 Nick Punto batted .239, with a career high 4 home runs, and 26 runs batted in over the duration of 112 games. Punto had his best full season in Minnesota during the 2006 season when he batted .290 with 45 runs batted in, and posted 17 stolen bases in 135 games. in .]] In , Punto experienced his statistically worst full season with Minnesota, batting .210 with 25 runs batted in in 150 games. He posted the lowest slugging percentage (.271) of any major league player with at least 200 at-bats in a single season. This was the lowest slugging percentage by a player with over 400 at-bats since José Lind recorded a .269 slugging percentage for the Pittsburgh Pirates in . Punto also posted a −27.1 VORP in 2007, 8.5 runs worse than the second-worst position player in baseball, White Sox infielder Andy González. However, he has always played excellent defense and believed in his defensive abilities which the Twins are so keen on. On May 27 during an MPR broadcast Punto said, "I take too much pride in my defense to ever let (offensive struggles) affect me or affect my team. The one thing I can control is how I play defense." Punto also became famous for his renowned "Punto Slush," over the course of the 2007 season. Then-reigning American League MVP Justin Morneau made a habit of eating the same meal before a game, which included a turkey sandwich and a Mountain Dew slush made by Nick Punto. After being injured most of the first half of the season, Punto was activated from the DL on June 25, 2008 and finished the season batting .284 with 28 runs batted in. Punto spent most of the 2008 season as the Twins' primary shortstop. Punto signed a new two-year deal with the Twins worth $8.5 million following the 2008 season, with a club option for 2011 worth $5 million. Punto represented Team Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. After struggling as the Twins regular shortstop in 2009, Punto began losing time in the lineup to fellow Twin Brendan Harris. After returning from the disabled list, Punto was re-inserted into the regular lineup at second base, following the struggles of infielders Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert. He finished the season batting .228 with 38 RBI over 440 plate appearances. Punto began the 2010 season as the Twins' starting third baseman, but ended up on the disabled list before the end of April with a strained groin muscle. Punto returned to the lineup in May, playing at third base, shortstop, and second base as injuries cropped up among other players. In July, he was essentially replaced as the starter at third base by Danny Valencia, but he continued to play regularly due to injuries to Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy. On July 30, the Twins placed Punto on the disabled list again due to a strained hamstring. Through the end of July, Punto had appeared in 80 games, hitting .251 with a .642 OPS. On October 29, the Twins declined Punto's $5 million team option, making him a free agent. St. Louis Cardinals On January 21, 2011 Punto signed a one year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals worth 1 million. Boston Red Sox On December 14, 2011, Punto agreed to a 2 year contract with the Boston Red Sox worth 4 million. References External links * * Punto on his '07 struggles & more (Minnesota Public Radio) * The unlikely third baseman (Minnesota Public Radio) * Nicky Hustle (Minnesota Public Radio) * Official Nick Punto Fan Club Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:2011 St. Louis Cardinals World Series Championship Team Category:Batavia Muckdogs players Category:Clearwater Phillies players Category:Reading Phillies players Category:Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Category:Quad Cities River Bandits players Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:Fort Myers Miracle players Category:Springfield Cardinals players Category:Memphis Redbirds players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Minnesota Twins players Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Major League Baseball infielders Category:Baseball players from California Category:Saddleback College alumni Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:2009 World Baseball Classic players Category:People from San Diego, California Category:Shortstops Category:Players